are written tim geithner's going to go down as one of our finest secretaries of the treasury. our economy is better positioned for tomorrow than most of those other countries hit by the financial crisis. the tough decisions tim made and carried out deserve a lot of credit for that. >> brown: at 57, lew is already a 30-year veteran of washington. he was a principal domestic policy advisor to house speaker tip o'neill in the 1980's, and negotiated with the reagan white house on social security and tax reform. later, he served two stints as the country's budget director, first under president clinton, then under president obama, before becoming white house chief of staff. today, in the east room of the white house, the nominee voiced his gratitude. >> thank you mr. president for your trust confidence and friendship. serving in your administration has allowed me to live out those values my parents ensiled in me and i look forward to continuing with the challenges ahead. >> brown: lew, and other top administration officials, face the immediate task of negotiating with republicans o